Signaling system



PatentZd JuIyB, 1924.

Y N TEQ STA S ',.PATENT# QF EEQ Bonner nlnnannar, or nocHEsrER, NewYoax; i: l signature srsram.'-

"- Y f Application fled August 22, 1922. Seriallio. 583,507.

g I v To all iokom it= may-'concern:- I 'Inorder to make a turn it isnecessary to I it known that I, 'Ronmrr Pi HERBERT, a take hold of thewheel above the horizontalcitizen of" the; .United' States, res'idingat; axis thereof in order; to'be able to give-the' Rochester,"in""the"countyi ofjMonroe and wheel alarge enough .tu'rnin eitherI-one' orState of New Yorlq ha've invented certain the other direction. "Theexact point where 60 new and 'us'eful Improvements in Signaling a drivertakes hold of the wheel isof course Systems, .of whi'ch=the"following.isa 'specimore or less governed by his. habits-bfut iii 1- fication'. T iany event there -is -one;point welli'upon -The object'of this inventionis to provide each side-of the wheel where he -lwill grip a pair ofswitches that can be attached to the *wheel in order to make a tu' "n.'-s;-Ihe 65 therim of asteering wheel of an automobile switches formingthe subject matter-bf: my

atpredeterminedpoints'thereon so that on itaking hold ofthe-wheel-atoneof-these I t As illustrated, in the figures of the"dr a\v-' 3 pointsfor' tl lblpl'lipbseof making a turn the v t v Ifligui'ei s-aperspecmore sideofzthe-'casing.i;Infordertojnakei- '25 inglwheel with he switctliefswitchoperating member swingawithin' 80 .30 Figure s:

6; ing thew eel..

atop

side-elevation"(vi a -steer g wheel and; the switchesmounted -the'reon;v

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the 'contactmeniberssurrounding the steer -ing column and-forming part of the switches.'Figure 5 is an elevation of a signal light that may be operated by meansof the switches mounted on the steering wheel.

40 In the several figures of the drawing like reference numeralsindicate like parts.

The operation ofimany of the automobile signals used. to indicate thedirection in which the car is about to turn depends 46 mainly on whetheror not the driver of the car thinks of, operating the switch or othermechanism that controls the signal. In other words the signal is notautomatic in its operation but operates onl by making f some specialmovement of the and or foot. V In my present invention I have provided apair of switches that are fastened to the Y steerin wheel so that theiroperation is secured ythe grip f the handwhen turnab e casing l" partialsectional view; and

invention are .to be clamped 'to these points on the rlmiof the'wheelforming; a grip in handle 5 -to be cl'ampe riin i g Wheel at" the pointsT above which isjade 6f. the

j memberl-isl pivoted in the] casingiat' 'andfa ,p artthereoflprojects'f" out: thr'u' an opening a stop. for the. switch member?wlieii either end of the slot is broughtin ,contactwith it. 86

; Normallj the switch inemberor-lever 2 is forced outwardly into the-position illustrated in Figurel2; This is done the spring pressedbutton ficarri'cd on theend of the flexible shaft 7. As shown in Figure90 2, an expansion spring 8 is inter osed between the rear of the button6 an the end of the flexible housing 9 surrounding the shaft 7 which.forces the button and shaft against the rear of the switch operatingmember and normally holds it in this position.

The flexible shaft and its casing lead from the casing 1 to the underside of one of the spokes of the steering wheel and terminates m acircular housing 10 surrounding the column 11 below the steering wheelto which it is suitably fastened. On the steering column are-mounted twosemicircular contact plates 12 and 13 one at the right and the of eachof the flexible shafts terminating in 1h- ;mweach oft-hege switchescomprises ref suit 10 i-the 75 v predetermined, limitsa"slotj 5*jisprovided I p an view of the steer he. switches; mounted therethehousing. As the steering wheel is rotatedthe housing 10 rotates with itand moves the contact fingers 14 and 15 in front of the semicircularcontact plates 12 and I '13 which are held stationary on the steeringforced into its casing it forces the flexible shaft that rests againstit thru its flexible 10 housing so that the other end thereof moves outofthe flexible housing againstthe con-' tactfinger located at the 'endthereof. This in turn-depresses the spring contact finger and brings itin contact with the contact plate in rout of it. The electrical circuitof which this particular contact plate forms a part is thus'completedand lights one of the lights behind the arrows of the signal light '16.The particular light which-it lights depends on the switch that has beenoperated.

, hand side of the center line of the steering wheelis operatedthe-lightinback of the arrow pointing to the left is lighted to indicate that thecar is about to make a turn to the left whileiwhen the switch on theright hand-sideof the steering wheel is operated the arrow of the signallight point ingntio the right is lit up. e switches for lighting up. thesignal light-in this manner are operated sclously by the driver of thecar. .Thus

when he' reaches'up to take a-hold'near the top of the: wheel at theleftthereof order to mans? turn to the left he grips the i switch iiioimtedat this point on the. rim'of the-steering wheel and in so doing forcesthe switch operating member of this switch into itscasmg-with-the'resultthat the contact members within thehousing l0'com,theelectric circuit that ;lights up theafrrow of the signaling lightthat points to the'left. then automatically indicates Thus when theswitch on the tion.

unconto the traffic in back of. him that he is about to make a turn tothe left.

Turning the steering wheel to the right produces-the same resultexceptthat the arrow pointing to the rightis lit'up instead.

I claim: I L- Ina switch for an automobilesignaling device thecombination of a casing adapted to fit the closed hand, means adapts edto clamp said casing to the rim of'a steering wheel, a switch operatingmember? 55 mounted within said casing and project ing out therefrom toform'an irregular out line at a predetermined pointon'the outside ofsaid casing sothat by closing the hand to simultaneously grip therim ofthe 0 steering wheel and said casingprior to and during the'turnin'g ofthe." steering wheel said switch operat ng-member is automaticallyoperated and kept inoperativeposi 2. In a switch for an automobilesignaL ing device the combination- ;of; a" casing adapted to fit theclosed hand,'means adapted to clamp said casingfto the rim f a steeringwheeL-a switch operating member 7 mounted within said casing andprojectingout therefrom to form an irregular outline at a predeterminedpoint on the outside of said'casing so that by closing the hand tosimu-ltan'eousl; grip the rim ofthe' steering I wheel and said casingprior to and during the turning of the steering wheel -said switchoperating memberis automatically operated and kept in operative positionand means to automatically allow said switeh V8.

member to move back intoits normal op- 'erative position on the partialrelease ofthe i 1? casing and the rim by the hand.

" In testimony whereof-I aflix my signaturel ROBERT P. HERBERT.

